Four accused including Aseemanand acquitted in Samjauta Express blast case

New Delhi, Mar 20: The special court has acquitted all four accused in the Samjauta express blast case.

The court said that it did not find any evidence against Aseemanand, Lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan and Rajinder Chudhary.

The final arguments in this case were concluded on March 6 and the verdict was reserved for March 11. However it was postponed after a Pakistani lady moved the court seeking permission to examine witnesses from her country. The court had earlier rejected her plea.

Sixty-eight people, mostly Pakistan national, were charred to death in the blasts in two coaches of the Samjhauta Express near Panipat on February 18, 2007.

The Samjhauta Express, also called Attari Express, is a bi-weekly train that runs on Wednesdays and Sundays - between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan.

The NIA in its chargesheet had named eight persons as accused.

Among them are: Naba Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand, Lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan and Rajinder Chaudhary, who appeared before the court. While Sunil Joshi, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was killed in December 2007.

Three other accused -- Ramchandra Kalsangra, Sandeep Dange and Amit -- are still at large and have been declared proclaimed offenders